A History of Our Milky Way Galaxy, 14 Billion BCE to the Present Day

Humankind has an innate need to understand the universe and its origin.  Prior to the development of science, myths were invented by all cultures to explain the universe.  From the philosophers of ancient Greece and early scientists, such as Copernicus and Galileo, an understanding based on observation and the scientific method has gradually replaced these myths.  While much remains to be discovered, modern science has succeeded in establishing a narrative of how the universe came into being and evolved over the past 14 billion years.  Dr. Phil Marshall will review how our corner of the universe came into being and share astonishing images of what is seen as scientist look out to our galaxy.  Science, for the humanist, is a source of both knowledge and awe.

Phil is a staff scientist at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, at SLAC, Stanford University. His main research interest is observational cosmology using gravitational lensing: weighing galaxies, and measuring the expansion rate of the Universe.  He involved in a number of surveys to find new lenses, using both ground-based and space telescopes.

This event is sponsored by the Humanists and Non-Theists of the Unitarian Universalist Society

Everyone is welcome.  Sandwiches will be available for purchase.